German submarine U-27 (1936)

U-27 in Fuenterrabia, Spain (circa. 1938)
History
Nazi Germany
Name	U-27
Ordered	1 April 1935[1]
Builder	DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Cost	4,189,000 ℛ︁ℳ︁
Yard number	908[1]
Laid down	11 November 1935[1]
Launched	24 June 1936[1]
Commissioned	12 August 1936[1]
Fate	Sunk by British warships, 20 September 1939[2]
General characteristics
Class and type	Type VIIA submarine
Displacement	626 tonnes (616 long tons) surfaced 745 t (733 long tons) submerged
Length	64.51 m (211 ft 8 in) o/a 45.50 m (149 ft 3 in) pressure hull
Beam	5.85 m (19 ft 2 in) o/a 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Height	9.50 m (31 ft 2 in)
Draught	4.37 m (14 ft 4 in)
Installed power	2,100–2,310 PS (1,540–1,700 kW; 2,070–2,280 bhp) (diesels) 750 PS (550 kW; 740 shp) (electric)
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range	6,200 nmi (11,500 km; 7,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced 73–94 nmi (135–174 km; 84–108 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth	220 m (720 ft) Crush depth: 230–250 m (750–820 ft)
Complement	4 officers, 40–56 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	Gruppenhorchgerät
Armament	5 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four bow, one stern) 11 × torpedoes or 26 × TMA or 39 × TMB tube-launched mines 1 × 8.8 cm (3.46 in) deck gun (220 rounds) 1 × 2 cm (0.79 in) AA gun (4,380 rounds)
Service record[2][3]
Part of:	2nd U-boat Flotilla 12 August 1936 – 20 September 1939
Identification codes:	M 08 129
Commanders:	Kptlt. / K.Kapt. Hans Ibbeken 12 August 1936 – 4 October 1937 Kptlt. Johannes Franz 5 October 1937 – 5 June 1939 Kapt.z.S. Hans-Georg von Friedeburg 6 June – 8 July 1939 Kptlt. Johannes Franz 8 July – 20 September 1939
Operations:	1 patrol: 23 August – 20 September 1939
Victories:	2 merchant ships sunk (624 GRT)

German submarine U-27 was a Type VIIA U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine built for service in World War II. Her keel was laid down in November 1935 in Bremen. She was commissioned in August 1936 with Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken in command. Ibbeken was relieved on 4 October 1937, by Johannes Franz, who commanded the boat until 6 June 1939 when Hans-Georg von Friedeburg assumed command for barely one month. He was relieved on 8 July again by Johannes Franz, who commanded the boat until her loss on 20 September 1939.

U-27 had a very short career, with only one war patrol and only two enemy ships sunk. Following the sinking of two British trawlers, Davara on 13 September and Rudyard Kipling on 16 September, U-27 was hunted down and sunk west of Lewis, Scotland, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Fortune, Faulknor and Forester. All 38 crewmen survived and were made prisoner for the remainder of the war.